*Walking with Pennys and Giants*

Dear Diary,

I've been doing a lot of playing with big dogs lately. Now it seems obvious to me and to Mum that I am in fact a very large dog myself. Just because my body is a bit on the little side doesn't mean I'm a small dog. And I work very hard to ensure that everyone I meet knows how big I am. So it is no surprise to Mum that I love meeting giants.

Last weekend I met three beautiful ladies - all bears. Mum says I mustn't call them that because they are Leonbergers and if I offend them they could sit on me and squash me flat. But these lovely ladies would never do that. I particularly loved playing with little gentle Poppy, she's a little younger than me but is gentle and fun to wrestle. Even better I saw them again today! 

And last night I met a beautiful big St Bernard, appropriately up on the hills. He wasn't carrying any delicious warming drinks around his neck, but he was gorgeous! He wasn't too keen to play though so I found a beautiful bearded collie who wanted to run with me.

Then I met another Penny! 

She was very fast and fun and Mum was particularly taken with her because she looked so much like Mum's dog growing up, Sage. I played with her for a bit before heading off to check for badgers in the forest.

Then today I met another Penny, but this one was small and black like me and ran really really really fast. I had to sit down and wait for her to tire out a bit before I could play!

Fast poodle Penny is fast!

Then this afternoon I got together with my sausagie (and wanna be sausagie) friends to celebrate another giant's successful battle against horrid cancer. My friend in the UK Lottie. 

She is a giant dog, who is doing so much good with her story and I really wished I could get on an aeroplane and fly over to London and celebrate and raise awareness for canine cancer. So instead I got my mates together and we said BUTT OUT CANCER! over here in NZ. Love you Lottie!

Lovely Ruby is a spritely old woman!

And now I'm curled up at home having quiet time with Mum because we both are sending all our love and healing vibes to the most giant dog I know - Winny Woo. Lovely Winny's Mummy Di had some bad news today which you can see on Winny's facebook page. Mum and I having been following Winny's life since she was born. She is an extraordinary girl whose spirit and determination have touched people across the world. She truly is a giant. Some of us are meant to be giants and fill up a much bigger place in the lives of those around us than our physical size would suggest. Winny fills up an enormous amount of space with love, she is a gift. 

 I am a giant too, I came and saved my Mum when she was very sad because she can't have children. She got me instead and is now happier than she's ever been. I'm too modest to talk about it much, but I know that I am a very special dog and that makes me a giant like Lottie and a bit like Winny. Love to you both my special English roses!

Friday *Date Morning*

Dear Diary,

What an awesmazing day it has been today! This morning I went on a date with my gorgeous boyfriend Louie Lord von Houndlinghausen. Being aristocratic and of slightly more years than me (only 56 dog ones!) he appreciates a gentle stroll rather than a full on romp. 

I still love him though and of course greeted him with kisses.

I suspect the other dogs are whispering behind my back that I'm actually a gold digger because of the age difference, but people need to remember that I too am aristocracy and a lady and the only digging I do is when I'm on the hunt for nefarious badgers.

Anyway, Lord Louie really knows how to look after a lady and watches out for me and very discretely leads me into the bushes when there is opportunity. I like that in a man. 

And best of all Louie (as I call him) understands my loving friendly nature and is happy to keep our relationship open so he isn't at all jealous when I go racing around with Cooper or tussling with Mav.

The only issue I had on our walk was my mother! Really she is becoming quite intolerable. Yes it was a hot day. Yes all the big dogs were swimming. Yes I was hot BUT it is NOT necessary to dump me in the spa pool! I don't like swimming. yes I did feel better after, but that is not the point. 

Then even worst we had to go to work! What what what? I haven't had to be in my Penny pen for aaagggeesss. It was so boring! Lucky she made up for it later. We went back out to my favourite park and Mum and I met our first client. His name is Monty and he's 17 weeks old and stupendously cute! 

He's a bit of a shy boy initially, but he's great fun to play with once he gets going! And he's really fast. Mum ended up taking lots of photo's of grass because he's so quick. I'm so looking forward to going walking with him! 

When I got home there was a parcel for me in the mailbox from my wonderful Aunty Donna in Oztraila. She's so awesome! She sent me this super cute pink hoodie. 

I have to admit I'm really a bit of a nudist and don't even like wearing my collar, so I did kinda of put up a fight getting it on. And I did kind of try and get it off me for a while. But I do look amazing in it and Mum says when it's a bit colder I'll really appreciate the extra warmth. Plus it's from an amazing shop called Peter Alexander and he makes the bestest eva Penny things (and has very good taste in both dogs and names). You should all go check out http://www.peteralexander.com.au/shop/en/peteralexander and you too can look as gorgeous and stylish as me! 

I guess we all have to make sacrifices to look good. I wonder if Lord Louie will like me in my new top?

Thursday *Schooling Ole Baby Face*

Dear Diary,

Remember how I said that Baby Face Frank was a big gentle honey to play with? Well that's all changing and he's become a big stompy monster (still stupidly cute though). He's also turned into a cunning play fighter as you can see in this photo of him chewing my leg off!

So I'm having to school him in some manners! Being a big lump of a thing I have use fairly strict methods with Frank. Firstly I need him to understand that being on top all of the time (and munching on young ladies necks) is not good manners.

To do this I employ the ever successful ear chomp. Those big black velvety ears are perfect for a gentle nibble or a strong reprimanding bite if the play gets out of hand.

Sometimes a two on one ear chomp is necessary and Cooper is often on hand to help me with this.

If the ear chomp doesn't quite get through to Frank that I am in fact in change then it can be necessary to bring out the muzzle gnaw.

This only works on dogs that have a nose to chew on, like my mate Hunter, but my dear little friend Milly is immune (and she knows it).

Once the muzzle chew has been deployed I find there is a much friendlier and more submissive Frank for me to play with. Over time he has learned that when I say enough it is my turn to be on top and I of course take full advantage of the situation.

While Frank is beginning to learn good manners with me, he still has some way to go with the other distinguished sausages in our gang. Only I'm allowed to use Kaiser as a step stool or launching ramp, Frank is far to big!

The only time I don't like playing with Frank is when he's been galumphing around in the spa pool. He loves the water, which I don't really understand. He clambers in and out of the pool with the big dogs and even likes having it poured on him. What a weirdo.

The worst thing is when he's wet he soaks me! That is really not manners at all. I guess there's not really much I can do about that though, unless I employ a towel boy to dry Frank off before he plays with me? Hmmmm, something to think about there.

Sunday *Badgers and Bears*

Dear Diary,

Today has been a day of much hunting. My highly honed ninja senses could tell that something was up in our back garden. There was a feeling that badgers were planning some sort of evil plan, probably to steal my delicious bone. I had to check the perimeter multiple times and then check the lawn. Mum wasn't too impressed with my lawn checking as I dug a fairly decent sized test hole to make sure we were secure from underground assault. I gently pointed out that we don't really have lawn, more an exciting adventure play ground of weeds and some dry brown stuff that might have been grass once, but certainly isn't anymore. She took this quite well I thought, and left me to my important work. 

It wasn't long after this I heard her call my name. I think she's got some mad ninja nose skills like me because she couldn't even see what I was doing and said she could smell dirt. She was right of course, I was sure that badgers had infiltrated the barrel where Mum used to grow things. There was a terrible accident though and nothing grows there anymore.

Mum agreed that I should investigate carefully to ensure the safety of the family but she did ask that I not fling any more dirt into the house. I of course obliged. She also kindly helped me document correct badger digging technique, I hope you find it informative.

Unfortunately I came away dirty faced and empty pawed but as a consolation Mum took me to the dog park. And there I met some bears! First I played for ages with this gorgeous baby bear. He was only 2 months old so much younger than me. I have to admit he was bigger than me though. When he lay on me I really couldn't do much so Mum took me away. It was very fun playing with the baby bear.

Then I met a big adult bear! Mum said it was actually a type of dog called a Leonberger, but I think it was actually a bear. It was nice and let me give it kisses, but wasn't really interested in playing with me. Secretly I was pleased about this because it was very very big.

After the bears we went for a fun walk in the woods and I sniffed EVERYTHING! I love the woods.

When we came out I met a golden Lab called Fern and an ex-farm dog called Murray and we all ran round together for ages while all the Mums talked and talked. Mums! It was a great play. 

Then when we got home Mum and Dad and me all went to our cool neighbors and I chased their cat up a tree. I think that's where I went wrong, because not long after that Dad took me home again. So not fair. The worst thing is I missed out on the epic block tower building that Mum builded. 

I sooooo would have loved to knock this over and run away with all the blocks. I know I would have got in trouble but it would have been totally worth it. Guess that's why I had to stay at home. My parents are so boring and uptight!

New ventures and adventures

Dear Diary,

What a crazy time it is! Mum and I are business partners! That's way she's been so slack about being my secretary, but I forgive her because if our new business takes off I'll have lots of new friends to play with all the time. We are starting a dog walking service, it's called Penny Paws Petcare (after you know who) and anyone lucky enough to use it will get to hang out with me. So everyone (based round the Port Hills in Christchurch) should go to our website and ring or email us to arrange for us to visit you! Your dogs will have the best time EVA!

While Mum has been busy organising everything I've still been having great adventures. I've been hanging with my gang and teaching that naughty Frank not to be too rough with me, but he's a bit of a slow learner. Sigh.

He's also crazy about water. Personally I don't see what's so great about it, but each to there own.

Oh, and I officially have a boyfriend, according to Facestalk anyway. He is a Lord, a title befitting a Lady of my breeding and he is rather gorgeous. His name is Louie Lord von Houndlinghausen, I am very much looking forward to our next date!

Mum had to go for a meeting with the lovely Aurora who owns Petcare Services Ltd and is the BEST dog walker in Sumner (and perhaps the world) because she is helping us with our business. I got to play with my sausagey friends Otto and Kaiser (and Barky Harry), but I also met some giants.

I meet Barry the giant cat, who unlike that black cat I live with, loves to play with me.

Unfortunately he lives in something called the pussy palace, but seems more like a fortress. I tried to conquer it, but I just couldn't manage it. Yet.

And I met a giant rabbit called Graeme. I thought he was a delicious treat for me, but then he told me off and I had to run away. He's crazy and scary!

Yesterday I got to go the the Agility Trials. It was very hard work for me because I wasn't allowed to go and talk to every dog I saw and had to be good and be on my lead all the time. To make the most of being on my lead I kindly offered to model one of the Safety Collars leads for my lovely Aunty Els. This time I had a much more appropriate one!

We watched lots of fun running and jumping and lots of people asked me if I wanted to do it, which I do! But I'm not old enough yet, I have to wait till my bones have finished growing and got all tough. I can't wait to fly through the air though.

I did get to met some really lovely dogs though, and I met a tiny puppy who was only 9 weeks old. He had to stay in jail because he hadn't had all his shots which made me sad because we really wanted to play together.

Mum finally let me have a run around the big grounds and I was so excited I decided to be a charging bull and run very seriously. See I can be a serious dog. I'll be great at agility!

Anyway Mum took a bazillion photos of dogs jumping so here are some of them. And don't forget to check out Penny Paws Petcare. I can't wait to play with you!